Student found with handgun, kicked out of NJ school for a year

ALLENTOWN — A student was found with a handgun in a Monmouth County high school on Wednesday, police said.

State Police spokesman Major Brian Police said one student noticed another with a weapon around 1 p.m. and alerted a teacher who took the weapon away and contacted the school's resource officer, who is a state police officer.

The student was arrested and taken to the Middlesex Juvenile Correction Center, Polite said. The student is 16-years-old and from the Trenton area, he said.

In a letter to parents, Upper Freehold school district superintendent Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick said that in accordance with state law, the student was immediately suspended and banned from school for a minimum of one year.

Fitzpatrick said the school's investigation found no evidence the student intended to use the weapon or harm or threaten anyone.

The school board will meet to discuss any additional correction action on the student, according to Fitzpatrick.

Allentown High School has a student population of 1,283 with students from Allentown, Millstone and Upper Freehold in western Monmouth County.